Police and crime prevention organizations provide tips to help keep shoppers safe — from their doorsteps to the stores and back home again.

Lori Monsewicz CantonRep.com staff writer @lmonsewiczREP

Walk out of the local big-box store with a 42-inch flat-screen TV in the cart — without stopping to pay for it — and the chase is on.

Store security cameras may have captured the entire incident on video, but store security officers and employees frequently get injured in attempts to stop shoplifters.

But they're not the only ones facing injury by criminals intent on making their own Christmas profitable at someone else's expense.

Police advise shoppers hoping to stay safe to stay vigilant — from the time they leave their front doorstep to the time they return home.

The Ohio Crime Prevention Association recommends on its website at www.ocpa-oh.org, that anyone being attacked for their newly acquired Christmas gifts, "give up the property."

Here are some more tips from law enforcement:

LEAVING HOME• Lock the doors and windows, and leave a light on.• Even better is putting lights on automatic timers, said Capt. Jack Angelo of the Canton Police Department.• Police have also recommended leaving a TV or radio playing, so that it appears someone is home. Most burglars prefer to avoid confrontations with homeowners.• Never carry large amounts of money, and shop with friends. "There is safety in numbers," the Stark County Sheriff's Department website said.

AT THE STORES• Park in well-lit areas.• Put up the car windows and lock the doors.• "Make sure you are aware of your surroundings, going into and coming from the stores," Angelo said.• Do not leave your purse or wallet unattended. Angelo also recommended keeping these items close to your body rather than in a shopping cart.• The Ohio Crime Prevention Association suggests avoid carrying a purse at all.• Don't buy more than you can carry and save all receipts, the National Crime Prevention Council says on its website at www.ncpc.org. • Don't flash a lot of cash in the checkout line.

MORE SHOPPING• Don't tempt criminals who may be "window shopping" — place packages out of sight inside the car while doing additional shopping. • Lock your packages in the trunk, the National Crime Prevention Council suggests.• The Stark County sheriff's website also suggests moving the car before returning to the stores: "Criminals can be on the lookout for unsuspecting shoppers who simply drop their purchases into their trunk and then return to keep shopping."• The national crime council recommends having keys in hand when approaching your vehicle.• Always look in and around your car to make sure no one's waiting for you before climbing back into your car to go home.• Once inside the car, lock the doors again, the sheriff's department recommends.

THE TRIP HOME• "Don't walk into a dark house," said Angelo.• The Ohio Crime Prevention Association said that if you arrive home and someone confronts you in your driveway, "remain in your car with windows and doors locked. Call police."• Once inside the home, "Do not display gifts where they can be seen from a window or doorway in the house," the Ohio Crime Prevention Association suggests.